I have held the view that Kent International Airport and its eventual success as an airport will be good news for Thanet. That said, my eardrums were blasted the other day as I was filling up with diesel at the garage on The Canterbury Road East and I looked up and counted the rivets on a plane going into land and I realised at first hand what the Residents of Ramsgate and ECR have to put up with. I therefore make no apology for showing you this letter that Steve Higgins has asked me to put up." Dear Residents,
I write to you with information from the Manston Airport Consultative Committee public meeting on Tuesday 2nd December 6:30pm
The meeting I felt was key to attend,
specifically as I live on the Ramsgate flight approach path and I'm very interested in developments at the airport suggested in its DraftMasterplan, published on 8th October. For those not familiar with its content, the Masterplan predicts growth, and sets out plans to accommodate 1.2 million passengers by 2010, 2 million passengers by 2013, and eventually rising to 6 million passengers by 2033. TheMasterplan also details how this will be achieved, and touches on the effect this will have on the surrounding environment. The full plan is available on the Manston Airport website.
Many facts and figures were discussed, but the points important to me and every otherRamsgate resident are obvious - increases in flights over our town will have a detrimental effect on our lives through continuous noise pollution. Flights will arrive for 70% of the time over Ramsgate, with planes only at 500ft creating noise levels of over 100 decibels for the noisiest aircraft, with the average maximum at 85 decibels. Nightflights, which have increased by 518% since the current owners took ownership, will wake you from your sleep on occasions. Ramsgate MainSands, the town centre and harbour will all suffer from increased noise levels. This will only work to discourage visitors and new business from coming to Ramsgate. House prices will depress at a greater rate versus other parts of Thanet that are not under the flight path.
Only two members of the public attended the meeting last night. The public has until 19th December to officially respond to the Masterplan. The next step for the Masterplan is to submit a full planning applicationto the council, who fervently support all development up to 10 million passengers a year at Manston.
You can voice your opinion in many ways; by electronic feedback on the Manston Airport website; by writing to your local councillor (details available onTDC's website); or by writing to your local MP, Stephen Ladyman.
If you think airport expansion is a bad thing for Ramsgate, you have to makeyour voice heard before its too late.
Kind Regards
Steve Higgins
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14 comments:
Bloody hell Bertie, next you'll be saying that China Gateway is a good idea, and that the Council are wonderful!
You need a cold shower and a rub down with the Guardian!
11.05, no chance!Manston has been an airport of various sorts for many years and I simply believe it should be something that benefits the community or is built on.
cheers bertie.
I see another person unnaffected by the airport, a mr hughes from st peters, in the letters page of the gazette has asked us to stop "bleating" as the airport has been here for years, and before us all.
Wrong mr hughes, and others like you.
the military airbase, built without environmental of planning applications, has been here since 1913, and changed to private airfield in the late 90's. Modern ramsgate, you could argue, has been in its current setp-up since the harbour was built, around 1749. my house was built 1870. I cam along about 100 years later. All three of us beat the airport by a very long time.
he also says that we should not be selfish. Tell me Mr Hughes, is having an airport conveniently situated 5 mins down the road for your yearly package holiday to benidorm selfish? Or are ramsgate residents who don't like the airport, who are facing flights overhead every few minutes for 16 hours day, 365 days a year?
Out of interest Bertie now that Thanet Life is back up and running, are you going to stand down , as you promised when you first started - or is that notion behind you now?
23.31, what a good memory you have! Congratulations!
The question, simply, is Thanet Life actually the open forum blog that it was? Until it and Thanetonian return fully, then I think the fall-out from the spring's 'Blog Wars' is still with us and if I am honest, this blogging 'thing' is quite addictive. Will have to wean off it slowly, perhaps.
Steve, you decided to move in 1970,you knew the airport was there and planes were using it at that time. Your choice, why should the airfield close just to suit you. (As you know I am one of those that the airfeild does affect)
tony, I have no problem with a military airbase that i pay for, protecting me and my family, causing some noise overhead.
A private airport is a very different matter. Do you understand the difference between the two?
I assume you live on the nethercourt. You are currently, according to infratils masterplan, not going to gain any recompense for the extra planes going overhead.
This may change in the future, but only if proper measurement of noise is taken.
Infratil currently have a monitor nailed to a garden shed of an employee's house in Ramsgate.
Are you interested in getting that noise measured properly, specifically for your area? you could get your house sound insulated, double glazing , roof tiles strengthened etc as set out in teh section 106 agreement.
Private airports can exist, with strict controls on times of flights, noisy planes being activley discouraged etc. None of this is happening at Manston.
Are you happy for this expansion to continue unchecked?
Steve, I chose to live near the airport so why would I be asking for any compensation, it was my choice. Military or civil aircraft,it makes no difference, it's what you expect living near one. I work nights, should I tell them to cut down on day flights?
you can ask them to double/triple glaze your windows, and give you compensation if you try and sell.
You don't have to if you don't want to, which must mean you have more money than sense.
one other thing you can try - i hear they are hiring. PR. You do nothing but talk it up anyway, you might as well get paid for it
tony, you what you like mate.
and so will I.
You don't get annoyed by the planes, but I hope i get on your nerves.
Calm down Steve, I,ve stated before I care not whether the airport expands or not, just remember not everybody shares your point of view, and no you are not getting on my nerves.
The airport was there before many people moved near to it - they knew it was there and knew the fact it could become busy - I agree that china gateway is a bad idea but I support the airport - and I live under the flightpath on the eastcliff! The modern jets arn't as bad as those old russian wrecks - even when eujet was there I had no reason to complain - I support it an I look forward to any jobs or development it may bring this way regardless of whether its a little bit noisier than it is now or not and regarless if it brings traffic etc down to the airport - maybe they will upgrade the old road from the thanet way in!!
I have no real objection to the expansion at Manston, especially as it would mean, many people could afford a holiday, the extra £150 getting to the airport and back, always stops the holidays ever being booked. As long as they do not encrouch any further than the original plan, I'm OK about it.
What I do object to is the future plan to have 6 Gipsy sites in Thanet, 36 in Canterbury, 7.500 in the whole country. What the bloody hell is this Government doing to our Country? They are destroying everything we ever had that was good, will we have any nice places left to live? No the whole Country will be turned into deprived ghetto's.
The Gipsy camps will destroy all the areas of Great Britain, create even more unemployment and attract yet more foreigners to live in this country without contributing to any taxes and put even more pressure on the employed. When you look at it like that, would you rather have an extention of our airport or even more immigrants moving over here?
I am rather non-plussed by the pandering to a 'traveller community'. If 'travellers' want to follow that lifestyle then thats fine by me; what is stopping them purchasing their own sites and having a 'travellers club' series of sites akin to The Caravan Club of Great Britain? I share with you some reservations about this whole pandering to a so called 'ethnic' minority in order to 'fix' them to a permanent location, that seems the antithesis to the travelling spirit. Happy Christmas.
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